‘Overlapping shocks’ are undoing efforts to end hunger in Africa, UN warns

Urgent aid response needed as climate crisis, Covid, local conflicts and soaring fuel prices push millions more into hunger

Decades of work to reduce hunger in Africa are being reversed as the continent struggles to cope with conflict, climate crisis and the global economic downturn, the UN's Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has warned.

About 278 million people in Africa - approximately one-fifth of the total population - went hungry in 2021, an increase of 50 million people since 2019, according to UN figures. Based on current trends, this is projected to rise to 310 million by 2030.